, 1887-07-14
AAepY p4YsIcAL coNpIrIoNe.
Environments Which Tend to Develop
Self Indulgence and Incidence.

Environments Which Tend to Develop
Self Indulgence and Incidence.
We rave but to pass toward semi
tropical territory to see how Iaxity OF
government and public apathy in refer
ence to it increase as the equator is grad
ually approached. Italy, although ii
headquarters q the oldest and most pow
erful religious organization in Christen-
dom, was long the scene of political tur-
mol and ~brigandage, and even now she
is crushed by a load of public debt far
beyond her ability to bear. Her edu-
Gated classes are republican and there can
be no stability in a throne honeycombed
by h social and political doctrines which
Manin, Mazzini and Garibaldi ave left
behind them. But whether a republic,
whenever it comes to be established in
the dominions of King Humbert, will
ultimately prove a panacea for the politi-
cal unrest of his mercurial subjects, es-
pecially in Southern Italy, is more than
doubtful. Spain, another Celtic country,
lying still further south. affords an in
stance yet more pronounced of the influ-
ence Of climate in producing chronic
political ~disquiet. There is a traditional
legend existing in the Iberian peninsula
of a former generation of Spaniards who
presented a memorial to their patron
saint, San Diego, asking him to bestow
upon them rich soil, a fine climate, beau
tiful women and good government.
The first three requests the saint was
willing to grant. But in reference to the
last he replied that in soliciting good gov
eminent they asked for what was incom-
patible with the other three favors, and
that if they would have rich soil, a fine
.lsr,ntA a,,I lAn,,N,f-I $1,000
able to concede the fourth request. Here
we have philosophy strikingly taught in
fable. The three boons conferred by the
saint naturally tended TO develop self in
diligence and indolence-a state of things
which would make the people an easy
prey to the designs of greedy statecraft.
How truly the legendary u~tterances of
San Diego ave been verified in the his
tory of Spain is known to every one ac-
quainted with Spanish history. In the
sunny cline stretching along the Medi-
terranean coast from Barcelona to Cadiz,
the poor can live on q trile. Their
clothing is light and cheap; their open
air existence requires but little shelter,
and a meal or two per day of grapes,
bananas, rice and common vegetables,
with a small portion of inexpensive
c%laret, with which the country abounds,
amply satisfies their wants The wealthy
and more intelligent classes, as n rule.
luxuriating amidst the happy physical
conditions by which they are surrounded,
rave no motive to trouble themselves
about politics SO long as the taxes de-
manded by the government are not OPP
pressive.
The result is that political parties are
masters of the situation, and are allowed
to fight each other and rob the treasury
in succession, without seriously calling
forth any such widespread and organized
public indignation as would be aroused
against maladministration if it should
occur under similar p~rovocation in coun-
tries whose skies are less propitious, and
whose soil will only yield crops of severe
Labor. h average Spaniard has no
greater ambition thar to follow his call
ing in peace, and looks upon ali parties
in The cortes as alike a set of knaves
whom he is forced to subsidize by paw
ment of heavy taxes in order to satisfy
their cupidity. In that country extern
sive Liberal and Tory organizations as in
Britain, or Progressists or Socialists as in
Germany. or Republicans and Demo-
Gratis as in the United States, are UNI
known. Accordingly corrupt govern
ments have contracted enormou public
debts, which their equally corrupt sue
cessors in turn repudiate .-Home journal.